Category: Celery Root (Celeriac)

Celery root is sometimes maligned for being so ugly. I suppose it’s odd looking but the flavor and adaptability more than make up for its homely appearance. One of my favorite dishes growing up was what my mother called “fake ling cod”. She steamed then breaded and pan-fried thick slices of celery root and served them with lemon wedges.

When you get a celery root in your CSA share or at the farmers market you may be lucky and find some stalks and leaves (that resemble celery leaves) still attached. These are delicious–in moderation as they are quite strong–finely chopped and added to soup or stock.

It is probably best known for the classic French celery root remoulade, a salad of julienned raw celery root dressed with a creamy dressing of mayonnaise and mustard and plenty of black pepper.

Celery root keeps well in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. It is a bit tricky to peel but I find a paring knife works well–they’re a bit lumpy for a vegetable peeler. You can also cut them in chunks and lay them cut side down on a cutting board and use a chef’s knife to slice away the roots and skin. Dirt does get stuck in the crevices around the roots so I always feel like I cut away more than I should but it seems necessary.

This one is made with half celery root and half potatoes along with fresh thyme and pimenton.

Scalloped potatoes was one of the first dishes I cooked for my family as a child. I learned from my mother to layer the thinly sliced potatoes, with herbs and spices, grated cheese, a thin dusting of flower and a few dots of butter. And I was extra generous with the black pepper–in each layer–in those days. These days I toss all the ingredients together in a bowl and then more or less level them out in the baking dish–same delicious result.

Variations include lots of chopped herbs like parsley, marjoram, chives or oregano, diced bacon or slices of sausage, minced garlic, finely chopped greens or peppers, etc. You can also use half potatoes and half celery root for a lovely variation. In that case, adding fresh or dried thyme is delicious.

About 3 1/2 cups liquid: all whole milk, part milk, part cream, part half & half, part veg or chicken stock, but be sure it’s at least 1/2 milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put the potatoes in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix the flour and spices together. Sprinkle this over the potatoes and toss well. Add the onions and almost all of the cheese (reserving some for the top) and mix again.

Spread mixture in a 9 x 13 baking dish, pat down a bit with a spatula. Pour milk (or liquid combo) over potato mixture. The liquid should come about half way up the potatoes. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese, cover pan with foil and bake until potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork about 45 70 minutes. Uncover after about 30 minutes and finish baking until tender and run under the broiler for a minute or two to brown the top if you’d like. Cooking time will depend on how thinly you sliced your potatoes. Let sit for a few minutes before serving. Serve hot or warm.